Book review

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“Follow the yellow brick road!” Everyone is used to this term as it comes right out of their childhood memories. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has been a classical fantasy tale that lives on to this day in the hearts of many people. As West High’s Book Club is reading the book by L. Frank Baum to help them complete their challenge, I had decided to read it as well to revisit the magical experience I had as a child when watching the movie.

Lively, little Dorothy and her energetic dog Toto live in a deserted gray town with their dull Aunt Em and Uncle Henry until one day a cyclone sweeps up the house with Dorothy and Toto, carrying them far away. After the cyclone comes to a stop and the storm was over, it sets the two into a land filled with color, where lives tiny people called Munchkins. She is greeted by them and the Witch of the North, who thanks Dorothy for setting the Munchkins free from the evil wicked Witch of the East, who had been enslaving the citizens. Confused, Dorothy turns around to see that her house has crushed the witch, leaving only her silver shoes. Even though the little girl enjoys the new place, she has come to miss her dear aunt and wished to go back. Taking the silver shoes and a kiss on the forehead to protect her from harm from the wicked witch, Dorothy sets off on the yellow paved road to find the Wizard of Oz, who is the only one powerful enough to send her back to Kansas. Throughout her journey many creatures join her, including a scarecrow perched on a pole, who wished to have a brain, a stuck tin woodman who wishes to have a heart and a cowardly lion who wishes to have courage. Before reaching Emerald City where the Great Wizard lives, Dorothy and her companions face many obstacles including a field full of sleep inducing poppies. When they reach the city, the wizard refuses to grant all their wishes until they defeat the Wicked Witch of the West. Having been set on another mission, the voyagers go along their journey to defeat the witch and have their wish granted.

To my surprise, I really enjoyed this book. I expected it to be a bit boring and dull, but as I read it the nostalgic feeling hit me and made me enjoy reading. I was quite surprised by many of the changes from the movies and the book as in how the red shoes in the movie were actually supposed to be silver shoes. Overall, this wonderful fantasy grasps your attention taking you to a magical world with many adventures and excitement. I give it five paws.